MORE than £762,000 of National Lottery funding was invested into Redditch last year, figures have revealed.

Across Redditch, eight grants were awarded, providing a vital cash boost to local arts, sport and heritage and community groups helping the area’s most vulnerable people.

The Redditch grants in 2013 included £118,273 to Carers Careline for a project to support informal carers in the area, £10,000 to Your Ideas to provide after school and weekend learning activities for young people and £296,222 to Home Start to support its mentoring programme for young families

Now these projects, and any organisation which has received Lottery funding, have a chance to gain national recognition for their work as the National Lottery Awards 2014 open for entries.

John Barrowman, presenter of last year’s National Lottery Awards show, said: “National Lottery players raise £33 million every week for a wide range of projects which make a life changing difference to local communities. The awards are a great way of celebrating their work and the unsung heroes helping people with National Lottery funding.

“Everyone in Redditch who plays the National Lottery should be proud of the difference their money is making in the local community. If you know of a Lottery-funded organisation that deserves to be nominated, we want to hear from you.”

The National Lottery Awards have seven categories - each reflecting an area of Lottery funding: sport; heritage; arts; environment; health; education and voluntary/charity.

The winners of The National Lottery Awards will receive a £2,000 cash prize and national recognition at a star-studded event broadcast on BBC One later this year.

To see a project from Redditch celebrated in this year’s National Lottery Awards, visit www.nationallotteryawards.org.uk to find out more, or call 0207 293 3599. 

Projects wishing to enter can do so by visiting the website. Entries must be received by midnight on March 12.